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“Of course,” Sir William chimed in jovially. “It has been common knowledge since he brought her home. And a kinder and more thoughtful gentleman you would be hard pressed to meet. Nothing was to be done that he did not do himself.”

“I was under the impression that Miss Elizabeth did not particularly care for Mr. Darcy. It is a wonder that she agreed to marry him.”

“I understand they spent quite some time together in Kent. His care and concern for her has been clear to all that have seen him. He freely takes upon himself the concerns of her family. It is not to be imagined that such a man would disregard the wishes of his own father. Many of us find comfort knowing that such an honorable man will be watching over the brightest jewel of the county.”

As Sir William finished his speech, Wickham decided it was time to take his leave. He could only hope that the attitude shift around Meryton would not spread into the militia before it was time for them to move to their next post.

When Darcy pulled up to the offices of Mr. Phillips with the other gentlemen from Longbourn, he did not know quite what to expect. He had already been amazed at the levelheadedness of Mr. Gardiner. Clearly the education of the Gardiner children had not been equal. The only thing he knew about Mr. Phillips was that he was married to Mrs. Bennet’s sister. He had rarely been in company with Mrs. Phillips, so did not have a clear picture of her in his mind.

What he found was a small, but clean and well-organized law office. Mr. Phillips greeted them warmly. When they gave the details concerning their errand, he told them he had just the man for them.

“Young John Simms is the second son of Netherfield’s steward,” Mr. Phillips said. “Both boys were trained in the working of an estate, but his father has been passing more and more responsibility to his older brother, preparing him to take over for him when he retires. That leaves John with all the training, but nowhere to apply it. He came to me about two years ago seeking a position as a clerk. He has been excellent. I would hate to lose him as a clerk, but I do not think you will find someone better suited to the position.”

Darcy looked towards Gardiner, who was looking at him in return. Collins was swiveling his head between the two.

“Well?” Mr. Phillips prodded.

“Yes, we would like to meet the young man,” Darcy replied for the group.

Within a few minutes John Simms had been sent for and joined them in the office. As Darcy was the only landowner in the group, it quickly became apparent that Gardiner would be deferring to his judgement.

Darcy asked about his knowledge concerning the type of soil that could be found in this part of Hertfordshire, and which crops would be successful. He asked about crop rotations, when to allow the sheep to graze the land, and how to know how much fertilizer they would need to purchase. Being impressed with Simms’ response to those questions, he then asked him about growing up the son of the steward. He asked about his education, and the expectations that he held. He asked if he resented his elder brother for being the one chosen to take their father’s place as steward of Netherfield Park. He asked probing questions concerning his dependability in paying his bills, or if he spent much time at the gaming tables. By the end of the interview, Darcy was very impressed with John Simms.

Mr. Phillips, having heard all about Mr. Wickham’s tale of woe from his wife, found these last questions very fascinating.

“We are looking for a steward for Longbourn for at least the next year,” Darcy explained. “The first three months you would manage everything about the estate. At that time, Mr. Collins and his wife will arrive. He does not have experience with running an estate, so you would stay on for at least another nine months to teach him everything that he needs to know. At that time, if he feels ready to take on the responsibility, you would finish out your contract.”

“Longbourn is not a large estate, and one year is not a long amount of time,” Simms replied. “I do not want to give up my position here, then be without employment a year from now.”

“You would be welcomed back any time,” Phillips assured him.

Simms pondered this for a moment.

“Would it be possible for me to do both?” he asked.

“Both?” Darcy questioned.

“Could I stay working for Mr. Phillips, but also work as the steward of Longbourn? Then I don’t have to worry about my position here being filled by someone else.”

“How would you manage both jobs?” Mr. Phillips asked.

“Most of the year I could manage Longbourn in the evening. I would keep my regular hours here, though I may need to take a few days off during planting and harvesting season.”

“If it becomes too much work to do both jobs, are you willing to prioritize Longbourn?” Gardiner asked.

“I am certain that keeping this schedule for one year won’t be a problem,” Simms assured him. “But, if it does become too much, I am willing to cut back my time with Mr. Phillips if he still says he will keep my position for me to return to. If Mr. Collins decides to keep me after the year, then we can talk again about how much time it will take and whether or not I want it as a permanent position.”

Mr. Phillips, who had always been impressed with the young man, gave him the assurances that he needed. Simms, wanting to prove that he could successfully do both, offered to go by Longbourn that evening to get more details about everything that would be required of him, and familiarize himself with the books. Phillips assured him that working double duty could wait a couple of days, and that he was free to take the next day off in order to spend it at Longbourn to get acquainted with everything.

When the gentlemen returned to Longbourn, Darcy was disappointed to find out that Elizabeth had retreated to her room in order to rest. Although her melancholy was not surprising considering the recent death of her father, he felt it had been worse today than normal. He wanted to see her before leaving, but was denied that chance. As he and Bingley took their leave of those at Longbourn, he hoped that she would be feeling a little more like herself in the morning.

When Mr. and Mrs. Collins returned to Lucas Lodge, Mr. Collins wasted no time in penning a letter to Lady Catherine, thanking her for her great condescension in allowing him to come and check on his inheritance, and praising her nephew for all the help he was able to provide. He also mentioned how delighted he was that they would soon share an even closer connection when her nephew was married to his cousin. He then sent it express, because he did not want there to be any delay on her hearing just how grateful he was.

When Darcy and Bingley arrived at Netherfield Park they did not expect the amount of activity that they found. Unfortunately for both gentlemen, while they were at Longbourn that day Caroline Bingley and Mr. and Mrs. Hurst arrived at Netherfield Park. Caroline, in particular, was not pleased to be there.

The ladies had learned that their brother had returned to Hertfordshire with Mr. Darcy. Not wanting to forgo a chance to host Mr. Darcy, and also intent on keeping their brother separated from Jane Bennet, they decided to join them.

Chapter 10